Author Profile

Shannon Watkins

Shannon Watkins joined the Martin Center in March 2017. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in Spanish and Linguistics from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has also studied at the University of Carlos III in Madrid, Spain.

Her articles have appeared in Townhall, the Washington Examiner, the Daily Caller, Rare Politics, and the Carolina Journal.

In her free time, Watkins enjoys reading philosophy, history, and classic literature.

Articles by Shannon Watkins

Remaking Society One Five-Year Strategic Plan At a Time

Nov 6, 2017 · Shannon Watkins · Comments Off

In January of this year, the University of North Carolina (UNC) Board of Governors unanimously adopted a system-wide strategic plan commissioned by President Spellings. The plan, entitled Higher Expectations, provides an outline of specific goals and metrics that are aimed to help the University prioritize its efforts in the next five years, essentially functioning as … Continue reading “Remaking Society One Five-Year Strategic Plan At a Time”

The NCAA’s UNC Decision: Nothing to See Here, Move Along

Oct 30, 2017 · Shannon Watkins · Comments Off

UNC-Chapel Hill’s infamous athletics-academic scandal has officially been swept under the rug. On October 13th, the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions announced that UNC-Chapel Hill will not be punished for the fraudulent classes it offered to 3,100 students, 47.6 percent of whom were athletes, for nearly two decades. This decision concludes Chapel Hill’s six-year saga of … Continue reading “The NCAA’s UNC Decision: Nothing to See Here, Move Along”

An Innovative Guide Through the Higher Ed Landscape

Oct 9, 2017 · Shannon Watkins · Comments Off

Increasingly, the old model of earning a college degree by simply choosing a school, paying cash to cover room, board, and tuition, and graduating within four years (with summers off) is passé. Currently, the average student takes six years to finish college and has about $37,000 in student loan debt. Higher education’s escalating costs and … Continue reading “An Innovative Guide Through the Higher Ed Landscape”

Everyone is Innocent Until Proven Guilty, Except College Students

Sep 25, 2017 · Shannon Watkins · Comments Off

When it comes to defending themselves against accusations, college students are fighting an uphill battle. Today, students accused of misconduct are often subjected to long and invasive investigation processes without the right to legal representation, to question witnesses, or to be presumed innocent until proven guilty—all basic due process procedures to which every student should … Continue reading “Everyone is Innocent Until Proven Guilty, Except College Students”

The Uncertain Future of Coding Boot Camps

Sep 18, 2017 · Shannon Watkins · Comments Off

Students are enrolling in coding “boot camps” at record rates, with the number of graduates increasing from about 2,200 in 2013 to an estimated 23,000 in 2017. However, the booming popularity of coding schools was not enough to prevent two prominent ones, Dev Bootcamp and The Iron Yard, from closing down recently. Coding boot camps … Continue reading “The Uncertain Future of Coding Boot Camps”

Should the Confederate Monuments Stay or Go?

Aug 28, 2017 · Shannon Watkins · Comments Off

It’s been more than two weeks since white nationalists gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia, to march against the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue and chant racist slogans. Social media captured the ensuing chaos and violence in real-time: a white nationalist terrorist rammed his car into a crowd of counter-protestors, killing one woman and injuring … Continue reading “Should the Confederate Monuments Stay or Go?”

When College Sports Lean Pro, Students and the Public Pay

Aug 21, 2017 · Shannon Watkins · Comments Off

Last week marked the latest chapter in the biggest college sports scandal in history. Administrators and athletics officials from UNC-Chapel Hill appeared before the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions in Nashville, Tennessee. At issue was whether the bogus classes UNC athletes took between 1993 and 2011 should be considered “impermissible benefits.” The Committee is expected to … Continue reading “When College Sports Lean Pro, Students and the Public Pay”

Should American Degree Programs Borrow from Their European Counterparts?

Aug 14, 2017 · Shannon Watkins · Comments Off

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, in the previous two decades over 31 million students have dropped out of college shortly after beginning their coursework. There are many reasons for this trend, including rising higher education costs and entering students’ lack of academic preparation and focus. Another reason, however, is that many students … Continue reading “Should American Degree Programs Borrow from Their European Counterparts?”

Paranoia and Paternalism Fuel the Fight Against “Rape Culture”

Aug 4, 2017 · Shannon Watkins · Comments Off

For several years, colleges have been battling an alleged campus “rape culture.” Before taking their first class, almost half a million students are taught that 1 in 5 women will be sexually assaulted in college. As a result of this and other efforts on the part of faculty and administrators, many women are led to … Continue reading “Paranoia and Paternalism Fuel the Fight Against “Rape Culture””

Study Only What You Want? Not If You Want to Be Successful

Jul 24, 2017 · Shannon Watkins · Comments Off

Recently, a general education course at UNC-Chapel Hill, “Big-Time College Sports,” was canceled. This sparked controversy after the course’s professor, Jay Smith, argued that the class, which he had taught in previous semesters, was axed because its treatment of Chapel Hill’s recent academic/athletics scandal cast the university in a negative light. Lost in much of … Continue reading “Study Only What You Want? Not If You Want to Be Successful”